Engrailed-1 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Metastasis [CUT&RUN]
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE228802 | GEO | 2023/12/19
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Engrailed-1 (EN1) is a critical homeodomain transcription factor (TF) required for neuronal survival, and EN1 expression has been shown to promote aggressive forms of triple negative breast cancer. Here, we report that EN1 is aberrantly expressed in a subset of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) patients with poor outcomes. EN1 predominantly repressed its target genes through direct binding to gene enhancers and promoters, implicating a role in the cellular response to the stimulation of mesenchymal cell properties. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments demonstrated that EN1 promoted PDA transformation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Our findings nominate the targeting of EN1 and downstream pathways in aggressive PDA.
2023-12-19 | GSE228804 | GEO
Project description:Basal-like breast tumors are aggressive cancers associated with high proliferation and metastasis. Currently basal-like breast cancer patients can only be treated with chemotherapy options. However, resistance to chemotherapy often occurs, resulting in recurrence and patient death. Some extremely aggressive basal-like breast cancers are also associated with hypoxia, inflammation and high leukocyte infiltration. Herein we discovered that the neural-specific transcription factor Engrailed 1 (EN1) is exclusively overexpressed in basal-like breast cancers. ShRNA-mediated knockdown of EN1 in basal-like breast cancer cells triggered potent and selective cell death. In contrast, ectopic overexpression of EN1 in normal cells activated survival pathways and conferred resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Exogenous expression of EN1 cDNA reprogrammed the breast epithelial cells towards a long-lived, neural-like phenotype displaying dopaminergic markers. Gene expression microarrays demonstrated that the EN1 cDNA altered transcription of a high number of inflammatory molecules, notably chemokines and chemokine receptors, which could mediate pro-survival pathways. To block EN1 function, we engineered synthetic interference peptides (iPeps) comprising the EN1-specific sequences mediating essential protein-protein interactions necessary for EN1 function and an N-terminal cell-penetrating peptide/nuclear localization sequence. These EN1-iPeps rapidly mediated a strong apoptotic response in tumor cells overexpressing EN1, with no toxicity to normal or non EN1-expressing cells. Delivery of EN1-iPeps into basal-like cancer cells significantly decreased the IC50 of chemotherapeutic drugs routinely used to treat breast cancer. Lastly, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that EN1-iPeps captured targets involved in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. Importantly, the EN1-iPeps bound the Glutamyl-prolyl tRNA synthetase (EPRS) target, which has been associated with the transcript-specific translational control of inflammatory proteins and activation of amino acid stress pathways. These studies show that EN1 activates intrinsic inflammatory pathways associated with pro-survival in basal-like breast cancer and that peptides targeting EN1 function could potentially be used to combat these lethal forms of breast cancer. reference x sample
2013-12-31 | E-GEOD-47358 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) is a key mediator of fibroblast activation in fibrotic diseases including systemic sclerosis. Here we show that Engrailed 1 (EN1) is re-expressed in multiple fibroblast subpopulations in the skin of SSc patients. We characterize EN1 as a molecular amplifier of TGFβ signaling in myofibroblast differentiation: TGFβ induces EN1 expression in a SMAD3-dependent manner, and, in turn, EN1 mediates the pro-fibrotic effects of TGFβ. RNA sequencing demonstrates that EN1 induces a pro-fibrotic gene expression profile functionally related to the cytoskeleton organization and ROCK activation. EN1 regulates gene expression by modulating the activity of SP1 and other SP-transcription factors, as confirmed by ChIP-seq experiments for EN1 and SP1. Functional experiments confirm the coordinating role of EN1 on ROCK activity and the re-organization of cytoskeleton during myofibroblast differentiation both in standard fibroblast culture systems and in in vitro skin models. Consistently, mice with fibroblast-specific knockout of En1 demonstrate impaired fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition and are partially protected from experimental skin fibrosis.
2021-05-19 | GSE174598 | GEO
Project description:Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) is a key mediator of fibroblast activation in fibrotic diseases including systemic sclerosis. Here we show that Engrailed 1 (EN1) is re-expressed in multiple fibroblast subpopulations in the skin of SSc patients. We characterize EN1 as a molecular amplifier of TGFβ signaling in myofibroblast differentiation: TGFβ induces EN1 expression in a SMAD3-dependent manner, and, in turn, EN1 mediates the pro-fibrotic effects of TGFβ. RNA sequencing demonstrates that EN1 induces a pro-fibrotic gene expression profile functionally related to the cytoskeleton organization and ROCK activation. EN1 regulates gene expression by modulating the activity of SP1 and other SP-transcription factors, as confirmed by ChIP-seq experiments for EN1 and SP1. Functional experiments confirm the coordinating role of EN1 on ROCK activity and the re-organization of cytoskeleton during myofibroblast differentiation both in standard fibroblast culture systems and in in vitro skin models. Consistently, mice with fibroblast-specific knockout of En1 demonstrate impaired fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition and are partially protected from experimental skin fibrosis.
2021-05-18 | GSE174580 | GEO
Project description:Basal-like breast tumors are aggressive cancers associated with high proliferation and metastasis. Currently basal-like breast cancer patients can only be treated with chemotherapy options. However, resistance to chemotherapy often occurs, resulting in recurrence and patient death. Some extremely aggressive basal-like breast cancers are also associated with hypoxia, inflammation and high leukocyte infiltration. Herein we discovered that the neural-specific transcription factor Engrailed 1 (EN1) is exclusively overexpressed in basal-like breast cancers. ShRNA-mediated knockdown of EN1 in basal-like breast cancer cells triggered potent and selective cell death. In contrast, ectopic overexpression of EN1 in normal cells activated survival pathways and conferred resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Exogenous expression of EN1 cDNA reprogrammed the breast epithelial cells towards a long-lived, neural-like phenotype displaying dopaminergic markers. Gene expression microarrays demonstrated that the EN1 cDNA altered transcription of a high number of inflammatory molecules, notably chemokines and chemokine receptors, which could mediate pro-survival pathways. To block EN1 function, we engineered synthetic interference peptides (iPeps) comprising the EN1-specific sequences mediating essential protein-protein interactions necessary for EN1 function and an N-terminal cell-penetrating peptide/nuclear localization sequence. These EN1-iPeps rapidly mediated a strong apoptotic response in tumor cells overexpressing EN1, with no toxicity to normal or non EN1-expressing cells. Delivery of EN1-iPeps into basal-like cancer cells significantly decreased the IC50 of chemotherapeutic drugs routinely used to treat breast cancer. Lastly, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that EN1-iPeps captured targets involved in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. Importantly, the EN1-iPeps bound the Glutamyl-prolyl tRNA synthetase (EPRS) target, which has been associated with the transcript-specific translational control of inflammatory proteins and activation of amino acid stress pathways. These studies show that EN1 activates intrinsic inflammatory pathways associated with pro-survival in basal-like breast cancer and that peptides targeting EN1 function could potentially be used to combat these lethal forms of breast cancer.
2013-12-31 | GSE47358 | GEO
Project description:Engrailed homeoproteins are expressed in adult dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra. In Engrailed1 heterozygous mice, these neurons start dying at 6 weeks, are more sensitive to oxidative stress and progressively develop traits similar to those observed following an acute and strong oxidative stress inflected to wild-type neurons. These changes include DNA strand breaks and the modification (intensity and distribution) of several nuclear and nucleolar heterochromatin marks. Engrailed1 and Engrailed2 are biochemically equivalent transducing proteins previously used to antagonize dopaminergic neuron death in Engrailed heterozygous mice and in mouse models of Parkinson disease. Accordingly, we show that, following an acute oxidative stress, a single Engrailed2 injection restores all nuclear and nucleolar heterochromatin marks, decreases the number of DNA strand breaks and protects dopaminergic neurons against apoptosis. RNA-seq data for differentially expressed genes in the SNpc of En1+/- mice, En2 infused mice and 6-OHDA/En2 injection experiments.
2015-09-24 | E-GEOD-72321 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be important components in gene regulatory networks1, but we are only beginning to understand the nature and extent of their involvement in human Mendelian disease. Here we show that deletions of an unannotated lncRNA locus on human chromosome 2 cause a severe congenital limb malformation. Using exome sequencing and array CGH, we identified homozygous 27-63 kb deletions located 300 kb upstream of the engrailed-1 (EN1) gene in patients with a complex limb malformation, featuring mesomelic shortening, syndactyly, and ventral nails (dorsal dimelia). Re-engineering of the human deletions in mice resulted in a complete loss of limb-specific En1 expression and a double dorsal limb phenotype, recapitulating the human malformation. Genome-wide analysis in the developing mouse limb revealed the presence of a 4-exon long non-coding transcript within the deleted region, which we named Maenli (for Master activator of En1 in the limb). Functional dissection of the Maenli locus showed that limb-specific En1 expression depends on transcription of Maenli and its loss resulted in the double dorsal limb phenotype. Concomitant monoallelic inactivation of En1 and Maenli in double heterozygous mice did not rescue the limb phenotype, indicating that En1 activation in the limb requires the cis-acting regulatory element Maenli. Moreover, our results strongly suggest that En1 activation is dependent on Maenli transcription, but not on the Maenli RNA itself. Thus, Maenli expression in the limb acts in cis to promote En1 transcriptional activation; its loss results in congenital malformation of the limbs, a subset of the full En1 associated phenotype. Together, our findings provide evidence that mutations involving lncRNAs loci can result in human Mendelian disease.
2020-10-25 | GSE137332 | GEO
Project description:Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be important components in gene regulatory networks1, but we are only beginning to understand the nature and extent of their involvement in human Mendelian disease. Here we show that deletions of an unannotated lncRNA locus on human chromosome 2 cause a severe congenital limb malformation. Using exome sequencing and array CGH, we identified homozygous 27-63 kb deletions located 300 kb upstream of the engrailed-1 (EN1) gene in patients with a complex limb malformation, featuring mesomelic shortening, syndactyly, and ventral nails (dorsal dimelia). Re-engineering of the human deletions in mice resulted in a complete loss of limb-specific En1 expression and a double dorsal limb phenotype, recapitulating the human malformation. Genome-wide analysis in the developing mouse limb revealed the presence of a 4-exon long non-coding transcript within the deleted region, which we named Maenli (for Master activator of En1 in the limb). Functional dissection of the Maenli locus showed that limb-specific En1 expression depends on transcription of Maenli and its loss resulted in the double dorsal limb phenotype. Concomitant monoallelic inactivation of En1 and Maenli in double heterozygous mice did not rescue the limb phenotype, indicating that En1 activation in the limb requires the cis-acting regulatory element Maenli. Moreover, our results strongly suggest that En1 activation is dependent on Maenli transcription, but not on the Maenli RNA itself. Thus, Maenli expression in the limb acts in cis to promote En1 transcriptional activation; its loss results in congenital malformation of the limbs, a subset of the full En1 associated phenotype. Together, our findings provide evidence that mutations involving lncRNAs loci can result in human Mendelian disease.
2020-10-25 | GSE149368 | GEO
Project description:Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be important components in gene regulatory networks1, but we are only beginning to understand the nature and extent of their involvement in human Mendelian disease. Here we show that deletions of an unannotated lncRNA locus on human chromosome 2 cause a severe congenital limb malformation. Using exome sequencing and array CGH, we identified homozygous 27-63 kb deletions located 300 kb upstream of the engrailed-1 (EN1) gene in patients with a complex limb malformation, featuring mesomelic shortening, syndactyly, and ventral nails (dorsal dimelia). Re-engineering of the human deletions in mice resulted in a complete loss of limb-specific En1 expression and a double dorsal limb phenotype, recapitulating the human malformation. Genome-wide analysis in the developing mouse limb revealed the presence of a 4-exon long non-coding transcript within the deleted region, which we named Maenli (for Master activator of En1 in the limb). Functional dissection of the Maenli locus showed that limb-specific En1 expression depends on transcription of Maenli and its loss resulted in the double dorsal limb phenotype. Concomitant monoallelic inactivation of En1 and Maenli in double heterozygous mice did not rescue the limb phenotype, indicating that En1 activation in the limb requires the cis-acting regulatory element Maenli. Moreover, our results strongly suggest that En1 activation is dependent on Maenli transcription, but not on the Maenli RNA itself. Thus, Maenli expression in the limb acts in cis to promote En1 transcriptional activation; its loss results in congenital malformation of the limbs, a subset of the full En1 associated phenotype. Together, our findings provide evidence that mutations involving lncRNAs loci can result in human Mendelian disease.
2020-10-25 | GSE137331 | GEO
Project description:Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be important components in gene regulatory networks1, but we are only beginning to understand the nature and extent of their involvement in human Mendelian disease. Here we show that deletions of an unannotated lncRNA locus on human chromosome 2 cause a severe congenital limb malformation. Using exome sequencing and array CGH, we identified homozygous 27-63 kb deletions located 300 kb upstream of the engrailed-1 (EN1) gene in patients with a complex limb malformation, featuring mesomelic shortening, syndactyly, and ventral nails (dorsal dimelia). Re-engineering of the human deletions in mice resulted in a complete loss of limb-specific En1 expression and a double dorsal limb phenotype, recapitulating the human malformation. Genome-wide analysis in the developing mouse limb revealed the presence of a 4-exon long non-coding transcript within the deleted region, which we named Maenli (for Master activator of En1 in the limb). Functional dissection of the Maenli locus showed that limb-specific En1 expression depends on transcription of Maenli and its loss resulted in the double dorsal limb phenotype. Concomitant monoallelic inactivation of En1 and Maenli in double heterozygous mice did not rescue the limb phenotype, indicating that En1 activation in the limb requires the cis-acting regulatory element Maenli. Moreover, our results strongly suggest that En1 activation is dependent on Maenli transcription, but not on the Maenli RNA itself. Thus, Maenli expression in the limb acts in cis to promote En1 transcriptional activation; its loss results in congenital malformation of the limbs, a subset of the full En1 associated phenotype. Together, our findings provide evidence that mutations involving lncRNAs loci can result in human Mendelian disease.
2020-10-25 | GSE137330 | GEO